The Broken Vessel
by Radiant Shooketh
Summary: In a world where Nightmares are practically non-existent, Grimm has to find other ways to gather flames and keep the Nightmare Heart alive. He meets someone special and they make it work. Tragedy strikes one day and Grimm enters a deep, indefinite sleep. Hornet, The Knight, and the Hollow Knight embark on a journey to reunite a child with her father.
1. True Love?

Dreams and Nightmares once existed within the same domain. Two beings of light and flame were born in the realm, the primordial powers of dreams flowing through them. Each of them ruling over their respective purpose. One being, bright as Essence dealt with Dreams while the burned fiercely with flame and dealt with Nightmares. In conclusion, they were "family." But their relationship was always tense and complicated.

Eventually, the two fought and the Dream Realm War was born. The being of Dreams overpowered the Nightmare King and banished him to another domain, separate from her realm. With the Nightmare Realm being a separate domain on its own now, he had no way to feed himself. No Nightmares to consume. He felt his form weaken eventually and he was forced to take some drastic measures. His form melted away entirely and was reduced to the form of several hearts clumped up together. The power of the Nightmare Realm, the Nightmare Heart. Without Nightmares to consume, the Heart would die and the Nightmare Realm would vanish. So the Nightmare King came up with a plan.

To create a vessel, a vessel suitable to sustain and feed off its flame. Unfortunately, the vessel would eventually drain away. So a Ritual was conducted. Travel to dying realms and worlds, and feed off the scarlet flames from there and feed it to the new vessel. To complete the Ritual, the current vessel would have to be burned away so that its flames could be fed to the next vessel and then its connection to the Heart would be passed down to the next vessel. This tradition continued for many centuries without barely any problems. The troupe would be summoned to the dying world and the summoner would be accompanied by the small vessel as they gathered flames together. Everything waas in order and it played out like an endless dance. A dance that lasted for many many years.

But there was that very odd year…

A year where Nightmares and misery and fear weren't present in the world, or there was hardly any to exist at all. This happened to the current troupe master. This vessel was different. Troupe Master Grimm was born into a world where suffering and Nightmares were extremely hard to find. This century was drastically less volatile than what his ancestors experienced. So this was obviously a problem for him, the Heart, and his troupe. Without any flames to feed on, the Heart would die along with the rest of the troupe. So he had to resort to other means to find flames. He'd have to find a mate. And he did find one.

She was beautiful.

They had met one faithful day in a small town, literally bumping into each other. Entranced with one another, Grimm and this mysterious maiden talked and connected rather easily. He's learned that she is a beautiful, funny, smart, and compassionate woman. She was a warrior, apparently. A strong, independent fighter who was reliable and one of the protectors of her town.

She had a white shell covering her head, a slim and tall figure and wearing a purple cloak. He once asked her what was underneath her shell when they were together one day. Telling someone their deepest and darkest secrets required trust and time. They had spent a year together before she finally unmasked herself. Her skin was entirely dark, like the darkest part of the night sky and silky white hair that came up to her waist. In turn, she required Grimm to confess something about himself.

And so he did.

He told her everything. About who he was, what he came here for, and his entire situation. A vessel for some Higher Being requiring the scarlet flames to sustain the Heart. Grimm told her about how he was having some problems gathering flames of a dying world and how the problem was that there was no world or kingdom that was in ruin. So he told her how he needed to consume someone's Nightmares instead. Everyone who had Nightmares contain scarlet flames within their minds.

"Do you have Nightmares?" Grimm asked her.

"Of course I do. I have fears of my own that somehow warp themselves into my sleep. You need to consume my Nightmares then, right?"

"Yes."

It felt wrong, but he had no choice. But his own heart was bigger than the Heart he was meant to serve. So he put his desires above those of the troupe, and of the Heart. Before even thinking of consuming her Nightmares, he'd need to ask permission. So through that, he first asked to marry the girl. He proposed and she said yes. They held a small private wedding in the tent of the troupe. A few months later, she joined the troupe. Grimm has created a mask for her and they held a private ceremony, just the two of them.

He held the mask up to her. "You know you can still change your mind. You don't have to do this."

"I married you, so there's no going back. I'm in this till the end. We promised each other, remember? I'm staying with you."

"Very well then." He closed his eyes in thought. "Upon wearing this mask, you choose to willingly join the troupe and serve the Nightmare Heart. I will feast upon your Nightmares solely to keep the Heart alive. When the time is right, a new vessel shall be created and I will pass on the connection of the Heart to the new vessel. Am I going too fast for you?"

"When you mean the new vessel, do you mean… a kid?" She asked the question quite shyly.

"...yes, what are you suggesting?"

"..."

It took him a few seconds, but Grimm eventually got the hint.

"I would not suggest getting attached to the vessel. They are meant to sustain the Heart. Eventually, they too will grow weak and they will have to conduct the same Ritual to keep the Heart alive. We are all bound to the Heart," he said.

"Why call it a vessel?" She asked.

"Because they are as such. I too, am a vessel for the Heart."

"So you're saying you will eventually be drained away and die?"

"Yes, and that is why the child is created so that the Heart shall live on."

"That's wrong!"

"That's the way of the Grimm troupe, my dear."

"What kind of relationship will we be having, then? You'll die, and then who will I love?! This isn't love, Grimm! You're using me for my Nightmares!"

"..."

"I'm right, and you know it!" And she stormed off. Grimm didn't stop her as he watched her storm out of the tent.

He sighed deeply. "What have I gotten ourselves into?"


	2. Indefinite stasis

Grimm remembered chasing after her. That's when he actually broke down in front of her. He wasn't known to do that. Not in front of his troupe, in front of strangers, or anyone really. He started desperately explaining why he needed to consume flames, why the child had to be born and why the Heart needed to be kept alive all while trying not to burst out crying. He can't cry. He's the host to the Nightmare King, an individual of raw and terrifying powers. And here he was, struggling to keep it together in front of his wife.

He was very lucky to have married an understanding and kind woman. She reached out and grabbed his hands, tears in her eyes. "You've been born into a terrible fate, bound by some Higher Being. Born into invisible chains… Grimm, for as long as you and I shall live, I will stand by your side."

"Even if it's for a short amount of time?" He asked softly, unsure of himself. This wasn't him. He was always sure of himself, no matter what the situation was. But here he was, completely unsure on whether this was right, or wrong and what the effects this would have on those around him. In the past, he didn't have to worry about things like that.

His wife nodded. "I'll take whatever time you've got left. I'll help you make it through this. That's why I married you, is it not? We support and love each other, till the very end. Even if The End has no definite time, but that's what it's all about, I suppose… But I do have a request, if you'll allow it."

It was his turn to nod his head. "Of course. It's only fair, after all I've asked of you."

"My request is that we do have this child, and we will love it and cherish it. All while it fulfills its destiny on becoming the next vessel." Grimm hesitated once more.

"Growing attached to the child will make it all the more difficult to deal with, knowing its fate."

"That doesn't matter to me," she said. "I want a child to love, to nourish, to see it grow… Even if its time is also short. That's all I ask from you, Grimm. Please?"

This was a lot to take in and think about. He's always wanted to father a child, but not to raise it to its death. He wanted to see it live its life but unfortunately like his wife said, he and the child are forever bound to the ritual, born into invisible chains to serve the Heart. He closed his eyes. It would be nice, though. Now, his species was made where he didn't need any help creating an offspring. He could simply create a child with the snap of his fingers. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a child through other means.

"Very well, if you please. Oh, before I forget… To take the Nightmares from your Dreams, it comes at the expense of your lifespan. Are you prepared to sacrifice your life to keep the Heart alive? You can still back out from this."

"I refuse to cower away from this. You know I'd give my life for you, Grimm."

He smiled. "Well, not necessarily for my life. The life of the child, and the Heart."

The agreement was made, and she put the mask over his face and sealed her fate. They mated, they slept together and in her Nightmares, the Nightmare King was there to briefly greet her before collecting the flames from within her mind. Their child was born shortly after that, a small little grey larva, born with the same white mask that Grimm wore, with 4 pseudo wings and a single horn on their head. Their eyes were pitched black.

"Why are their eyes completely black?" She asked.

"They don't have the connection to the Heart just yet. Once I am gone from this world, I will pass on the connection onto them, and then their eyes will be red like mine." Grimm held out a small jar with the flame inside of it. "From your Nightmares, they will consume this and will grow a bit… Would you like to see it?"

"Yes, of course!"

Grimm opened the jar and took out a spoon. He gathered the flames inside of it and started feeding the baby. They opened their mouths and consumed the flames. After Grimm had finished feeding the baby, they transformed before the parents' very eyes, growing from a small larva to a slightly larger bug with a longer grey body and wings, and they grew two black horns at last. Grimm's wife pouted slightly.

"Aw, I liked it better when they were a small little larva. They were so squishy, and small." Grimm laughed at that.

"It's a girl, actually."

"Pardon?"

"The child is a girl."

"Oh, how nice! Wait, how could you tell?" She asked.

Grimm pointed at their grey body. "See how it curves slightly at the end? Only girls have that."

"Aw, how nice!"

That's how they spent the rest of their lives together. They raised and loved the child to their fullest. Grimm entered her Dreams every night and with those flames gathered, the child grew stronger and stronger each day. The troupe was a travelling circus, so they had to put on performances every day. That also meant they were constantly on the move. At some point, the troupe had settled onto some strange kingdom. Fortunately, this kingdom was in ruin.

"Perfect! There must be many flames here for the child to consume upon and grow!" He turned to his wife. "My dear, I don't think I have any need for your Nightmares any longer. This kingdom has plenty of Nightmare flames."

"That's great, Grimm."

When you ask someone what Dreams and Nightmares are, people automatically respond with this common answer: Nightmares are bad, and Dreams are good. That is actually a common misconception within the mortal realms. Nightmares are a reminder of reality. They take the craziest fantasies and fears that exist within an individual's heart and turn them into a bad dream. But once someone awakens from that dream, they are comforted by loved ones nearby. Dreams on the other hand are quite fragile, yet very deceiving.

The same thing could be said about the rulers of those respective realms. The Radiance was, a radiant figure who was at first seen as some benevolent rulers but was in fact quite ruthless and coldhearted and spiteful, banishing the Nightmare Realm from her own kingdom. The two were once kindred, and for no reason chooses to be hateful. Her intentions are quite deceitful in nature. Her thoughts on mortals were quite low; weak and pathetic creatures. The Nightmare King, or its vessel one should say, was warm. Both literally and in personality. Strange, one might say that he was a pacifist. Kindhearted and caring in nature, beloved by both family and his troupe. He would in no way go to some random town and wreak havoc upon it. He had no reason to - his life was perfect. A loving wife, and a beautiful daughter. His thoughts on mortals were one of respect and admiration and awe.

But his opinions of them changed drastically one day.

Grimm was just in his tent, about to have a nap with his daughter. His wife had gone out to explore the ruins, so she expected to not find anybody there. She was surprised when she encountered a group of unknown bugs with hoodies pulled over their heads. She suddenly felt apprehensive and tried to ignore them. Unfortunately, they noticed her and all of them started to surround her.

"What do you want?" She demanded in a harsh voice.

The leader of the group was dead on with the question: "Do you belong to that weird group that settled in the middle of town? The one with that weird red tent?"

"Yes, and why do you ask?" She realized a little too late that she should not have answered that question. Why answer a question to a bunch of suspicious looking bugs that she had never met before? And what's worse, they might be dangerous. But she didn't want any troubles. She didn't want to cause a scene. Not right now.

"We are demanding that you leave," the leader ordered.

"We mean no harm," she tried reasoning. "We won't be staying too long, anyway."

The leader took out their nail and pointed it directly at her. "We are not asking nicely. You and your troupe need to leave." The rest of the group followed suit and also pulled out their nails from their cloak. This escalated quickly.

She also pulled her long nail out and pointed it at the leader, who scoffed with indignation. She smirked. "What, just because I am a woman does not mean I do not know how to fight. Get those assumptions out of your heads!"

"Doesn't matter - man or woman, you will die here because you are outnumbered. Whatever is back in that creepy tent of yours, we will destroy it."

"Stay away from there!" She finally shouted at them. She looked at the leader, a little more desperately. Completely out of her character, but what choice did she have? There was precious cargo back there. "Please, we mean no harm back there. I am a wife and a mother. My husband and daughter are back there, completely harmless. We are just a friendly group of nomadic bugs. We are not disturbing the lands. Please!"

"Doesn't appear that way to us. We'll kill you, and whatever is in that dreadful tent back there!"

"NO!"

Grimm was very worried when his wife didn't return to the tent many hours after she had left. He asked one of the Grimmkin Novices to look after his child as he made his way out of the tent to search for her. It didn't take too long to find her, probably a 10 minute walk from the tent. But what he found, made him let out a despairing screech that echoed throughout the valley. He found her on the ground, cold and dead. A pool of dark red surrounding and drowning her limp figure, her eyes wide open. He collapsed to his knees, scooped up her corpse and held her close to his chest as he sobbed. Who could have done this? His question was answered when he heard an explosion in the distance. He immediately teleported back to the front of his tent, and found more chaos.

The tent was on fire, and it wasn't the flame that was unique to him and his kin at all. It was just regular fire that mortals used in many ways. His eyes widened in alarm. His child was there No, he couldn't lose her too. Not her. Grimm sprinted towards the tent and went inside. His eyes could not prepare him for what he saw. Most of his troupe members lay dead on the floor, all scorched up. His kin was not made for this kind of fire, so they burned up rather easily. Even Grimm was struggling to maintain composure here. The air was hard to breathe, and was getting too hot. He trudged through the burning tent, trying to ignore the carnage of his dead kin on the ground, scattered about.

He found the Grimmkin that was babysitting his child, but he didn't find his child. Where was she? From the other rooms, Divine and Brumm emerged from the shadow, coughing and choking on the air.

"Master, are you okay?" Divine asked.

"...no."

"Come again?"

"I said no!"

"What happened?"

"My… My wife, she… She was found dead just a few minutes away from the tent. I - I don't know what happened to her. It looks like she was ambushed by a large group, but by who… I don't know, I…" Grimm collapsed onto the floor, tears flooding his eyes. "And… and I can't find my daughter. I can't find her… I left a Grimmkin in charge to look after her, but… I found them, but not her."

"Oh, Master…"

"Mrmm, maybe she escaped the tent?" Brumm suggested. Grimm shook his head.

"It's impossible, she couldn't have foreseen the explosion… She… I…"

"Well, if you couldn't find her here, then maybe she-"

"NO!" He screeched at them. "She's gone, both her and my wife. Just leave me be! Let me burn within this tent so that I may join them soon. Please…"

"Grimm, please."

"LEAVE!"

Brumm and Divine shared a brief look before they fled the tent, as it burned. Grimm retreated to his quarters, where the foreign fire burned brightly there. He curled up into a fetal position and pain no attention to the burning environment around him. He found the fire making its way on his cloak, but he hardly blinked as it burned it. The curtains of the tent were scorched, and the air burned.

Grimm thought of the brief time he spent with his wife and child. They were a happy family, despite the circumstances they had been put in. They knew many people didn't like them very much because of their appearance or the intimidating aura they exuded, but no one in the other towns and villages and kingdoms they've been did anything bad to them. Here in a kingdom long in ruin with very few people left, they had somehow managed to make Grimm spiteful of mortals and their capabilities. Whoever killed his wife, attacked the tent and his troupe, and took his most beloved from him… They were the lowest of low, whatever was lower than scum… That's what they were.

It had been many days before the fire finally settled down. Grimm had miraculously survived the fire, but he was too weak to move. But it wasn't physical restrictions that weighed him down. The grief and sorrow that he felt in his heart made him want to die. He knew revenge wouldn't bring back his wife and child. So giving up on the world entirely, he closed his eyes… A world without them was a world not worth living in…

_The legends tell of a strange creature inside a burned up tent. The legends say he is a mourning figure. A figure who has lost his wife and child, the two most important people in his life. Since he could not die, he entered a deep stasis. An eternal sleep would not soothe his grieving heart and for the rest of eternity, would be bitter at the world. The two survivors of the troupe vowed to keep their master safe and stood guard of the burnt up tent, keeping any wanderers away from it, patiently waiting until their master woke up._


	3. Rekindled

_A long time ago, a vessel was created to supply the Nightmare Heart essence so that it shall live on forever consuming Nightmare flames and to provide life for the kin of Nightmare. A war long before made it difficult for the Nightmare King to collect said essence and the Dream realm was split. This vessel contains the connection of the Heart within their mind to supply the Higher Being. The only problem was that the vessel could only provide so much for the Heart. They were slowly being drained away, their flames burning faintly. For this, a Ritual must be conducted to always provide for the Heart. _

_All the vessels of the past had no problems collecting the flames of Nightmare. They would all travel to dying worlds and fading kingdoms where there would always be enough flames to feed the child. When enough flames were collected, a final step would be needed to feed the child full with flame and to pass on the connection of the Heart to the next vessel. All the previous vessels had no issues gathering the scarlet flames that danced around dead worlds. But one vessel in particular wasn't so lucky._

_Grimm was born into a world where Nightmares were hard to find. Kingdoms and worlds were alive and prospering with life and happiness. There were hardly any Nightmares to feed upon. Grimm resorted to other means to acquire flames. For that, he met his wife. With their union, she promised to provide Grimm with her own Nightmares at the expense of her lifespan. Grimm collected a lot of her flames from within her Dreams and provided enough of them to feed the child that he and his wife had. Eventually, they moved away to another land as any troupe should. They were a travelling group, after all. _

_The troupe eventually settled onto a kingdom long run down and ruined by conflicts from eons ago. As the kingdom was dead, there would be plenty of flames to provide for the child and help them grow. Grimm stopped consuming the Nightmares of his wife and they enjoyed the time they spent together raising their child. By the time the child was fed, they were growing pretty well. They were almost done gathering the last of the flames when tragedy struck the current troupe master and his family and troupe. _

_Grimm's wife was exploring the ruin as he stayed behind to watch after their child. She was ambushed by some rogue bugs who apparently were citizens of the kingdom that fled before the kingdom died completely. They attacked her relentlessly while she was unprovoked, not showing any mercy. She did her best to fend them off, trying to protect her family. She fought them valiantly but they eventually overwhelmed and they brutally slaughtered her. Grimm went to investigate why his wife hasn't returned in hours and to his horror found her dead. The killers eventually launched an attack on the troupe's tent when he wasn't in the tent. He returned and to his horror most of his troupe were found dead and scorched with fire not native of the Nightmare kin. He found no traces of his daughter after searching far and wide. In his grief and heartbroken state, the troupe master eventually entered a deep eternal sleep, hoping to forget the pain and aching in his heart as the tent around him burned up entirely. _

_Two of his troupe members survived and vowed to keep their master safe, waiting for him to wake up. While one guarded the tent, the other scouted the kingdom hoping to find Grimm's daughter and restore him to his former self. They did that everyday for many years. They never found her. And so for many years, Grimm slept. He slept and never woke up. With those many years, the Nightmare Heart weakened drastically. It was barely keeping it together and with not enough flames, it was hard to provide for its kin. _

_Some say he's still sleeping to this day, not caring about the world and forever mourning the deaths of his wife and daughter._

That's why Hornet was confused when she found a strange little bug just outside Dirtmouth. This bug was not native to these lands. There was something very particular about them. Two black crescent horns, a red stomach, 6 ribbon-like wings on their back, and pitch black eyes that were covered with a white mask. Hornet found them crying and wailing while she was just about to patrol the area.

"Little one, why are you here by yourself?" She asked it softly. They saw her and chirped in alarm before sobbing hysterically. She slowly approached them and they cried louder. "Calm down, I won't hurt you. What happened to you? Where's your parents?"

Hornet picked them up gently and their sobbing was reduced to quiet cries with the occasional hiccup. She patted their back carefully and rushed to Iselda and Cornifer's shop with urgency. "I need some help!"

Cornifer was writing something, probably mapping some location. He looked up at Hornet and his eyes widened. Iselda was on alert.

"Oh, honey. Who's that sweet adorable child with you?" She asked.

Hornet glanced back at the small child. "I found them just outside of town when I was about to patrol. They were just there, all by themselves."

"How strange." Cornifer walked from his desk and knelt down to inspect the small child. "They must have travelled from far to get here. Where do you suppose they came from? They don't look like any bug I've ever seen."

"You don't suppose your siblings would know anything about them, would they?" Iselda asked Hornet.

"I'm not sure. I'll go fetch them."

A few minutes later, Hornet returned with her two half siblings. She immediately interrogated them, pointing at the child who was now sitting on the table, looking at everyone shyly. Iselda approached it slowly and then caressed their head.

"Do any of you know where this child comes from? Have you ever seen a bug like them before, in other kingdoms?" She asked them. Little Ghost and Hollow shuffled up to the small child and inspected them. The little child backed away from them, mewling in protest. They yawned but not before their eyes caught sight of the Little Ghost and stared at them curiously. They flew from the table and landed on top of Ghost's shell and clung to their horns, chirping happily.

Hollow and Ghost shook their heads. They've never seen such a bug quite like this child. Hornet sighed in annoyance.

"Well, this is going to be problematic."

"Maybe the old Seer might know something about them?" Iselda suggested.

"That's true." Hornet took out her needle. "I'll go pay her a visit. In the meantime, you guys look after the child while I'm away. I'll be back soon."

The old Seer lives somewhere in the Resting Grounds. Hornet summoned the Old Stag and instructed him to take her to the Resting Grounds. It was a rather fast trip and from the boring background of Dirtmouth, she entered the more sombre looking area. Carefully getting off the Stag, Hornet searched for the Seer's location. After climbing up some stone stairs, she found a secluded home of someone's, just outside the Spirits Glade. She gingerly walked inside. This must be it.

"Ahhh, I hear someone approaching."

Hornet saw the small old moth that people have been talking about: the last living moth of her tribe. Hornet bowed her head.

"Oh, stop it. No need for such formalities, dear. What brings you to my house today?" The Seer said.

"Seer, I was wondering if you could offer some assistance," Hornet said, sounding tired.

"But of course. I'll do my very best to help."

"You seem to know about the Dream realm and everything about it."

The Seer chuckles. "Maybe not everything, but a fair amount of it. It is rather easy to talk about it, considering me and kin deal with Dreams. We've been to many places, both in Dreams and out."

"It should help us a fair amount. I was wondering if you could tell me if you've seen a particular bug. There was one that was found in Dirtmouth, and my siblings and I don't know where it came from. Perhaps you've seen such a thing before?"

"Hmm, Dirtmouth… That old town near the Surface?"

"Yes."

"Well, where is this strange bug in question?" The Seer asked her.

"They are quite young. A small child, actually. So I left them with my siblings and friends in Dirtmouth. Perhaps describing them to you would work instead?"

"Hopefully," the Seer said.

"They are this tiny bug with a red stomach that extends into a tail, two small black crescent horns on their head, pitch black dark eyes and a peculiar white mask on their face. Hopefully, that helps," Hornet told the Seer, hoping she hadn't missed anything. She waited for the Seer's reactions. A few moments later, she saw a reaction that she wasn't prepared to see from the Seer. She saw them tense up, looking mildly uncomfortable.

"Hmm, this strange bug that you talked about… I do in fact know a fair bit about them." The Seer sighed, closing her eyes. "Long ago, the Dream realm was split and the tribe that was separated from it was cast out by my Creator."

"The Radiance?" The words sounded bitter coming from Hornet's mouth. It also tasted bitter. The goddess had destroyed most of Hallownest, and had taken away her mother. The ruler of the Dream realm was long dead, thanks to her youngest half sibling. A feat that was basically impossible. Little Ghost was the slayer of Gods, apparently.

"Yes… Tell me, could you guess what realm was created as a result of the split?" The Seer asked her, mildly curious.

Hornet thought about it for a second. Dreams were split, and another realm was created entirely. It made sense to her, but she wasn't sure if it was right. "Nightmares?"

The Seer closed her eyes and nodded. "You are correct, child. The Nightmare Realm became a separate realm of its own after it was banished by The Radiance. You know, the rulers were once kindred and they lived in harmony in the Dream realm. One was in charge of dealing with Dreams, and the other one dealt with the more grotesque and frightening Dreams, which we call Nightmares. The Radiance must have not approved of the ways of the Nightmare King because they fought and went into war after that. The Nightmare King lost and was banished from the Dream Realm. With him and his kin banished, the King had no easy means to acquire Nightmares. He grew weak and his form melted away into a weaker form. In order to provide his kin with power to live on, he himself needed power to live on. So he made a vessel fresh with flames for him to consume. But over time, even the vessel grew weak. A Ritual takes place whenever the old vessel is about to die. They create another vessel and feed it with scarlet flames, the flames particular of their kind. The flame in dream, and the imprint of Nightmares. When the child consumes the flames, the old Nightmare King must burn away in order to feed the last of their flames to the child. The child becomes the new vessel and Nightmare King, and the cycle continues forever."

"..."

"It's a lot to take in, I know. I've always looked up to The Radiance, but the only thing I would disapprove of is her decision to banish the Nightmare King and his kin. You don't just… banish one of your own. To me, that's wrong. But it is what it is, I guess. And now look at her, she's dead. Anyway, the child you found. It's part of a tragic tale that's got to do with its parent, who is the current vessel of the Heart… Would you like to hear about it?"

"Might as well," Hornet said.

"Well, this tale started after the Nightmare King's form withered away. He created vessels to gather flames from fallen kingdoms and worlds to fuel the next vessel in line. From that, the connection of the Nightmare Heat gets passed on from vessel to vessel. The current troupe master was born into a world where Nightmares were hard to find. To get the flame in dream unique to his kind, he met a woman. They fell in love, and they eventually got married. As a symbol of their union, the wife promised to provide him with flames to consume from her Nightmares at the expense of her lifespan. She didn't care, she loved him so much that she would do that. So the vessel did that for a while. At some point, they had a child. The troupe travelled to a kingdom that was finally in ruins and the vessel no longer required his wife's Nightmares. They stayed in that dead kingdom for a while. But one day tragedy struck him and his troupe. His wife was murdered by rogue bugs, and his tent was attacked. Most of his troupe perished, and he couldn't find his child. Assuming she was dead, the troupe master entered a deep sleep in his grief. The death of his wife and child was too much for his mourning heart so he slept, hoping to forget about his pain and suffering. He's been sleeping for years…" The Seer closed her eyes.

"That's… That's a lot to take in, for sure."

"But now that you've found this child, they are for sure the child of the troupe master. I implore you, you must return the child to their father."

"Why do you care?" Hornet asked.

"The Nightmare King co-ruled alongside The Radiance. Even though he and his kin were banished, they are still kindred to my tribe. I can't help return the child because of my oath to guard the Resting Grounds. So I implore you, please return the child to him. He's been mourning for too long."

Hornet closed her eyes and nodded. "Very well. Where is this kingdom?"

"The dead kingdom of Bulak. His tent should be planted there. They were last seen at that location and I doubt the troupe master has awoken from his slumber. You must bring him back into the waking world, where he can be reunited with his child. This world has seen too many tragedies, but this one is one of the most tragic yet. Please get the child safely to him," The Seer implored.

"We promise to do our best. Do you have a map of the kingdom, by any chance?" Hornet asked. The Seer slowly stood up and shuffled over to the many shelves and scanned the endless supply of books and scrolls that she had.

She walked back to Hornet, and handed her a small map of the kingdom. Hornet looked at it briefly. "From Hallownest to Bulak, the trip is quite far. Maybe a few days trip, but getting there should not be a problem."

"Understood." Hornet rolled the map up and tucked it into her cloak. "Thank you for your help, Seer."

The Seer bowed her head. With that, Hornet exited the Seer's place and made her way towards the Stag station. She rang the bell and pulled out the map, waiting for the Old Stag. From Hallownest, it seems this kingdom was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by endless plains of mountains and hills. The place looked so pretty and serene, but she wasn't sure if it was because the kingdom was no longer living and was instead filled with silence, or the fact that it was an actual beautiful kingdom. Nothing but green hills and trees. It was going to take several days to reach this place. Her and her siblings would have to be well packed and prepared for the long trip.

Hornet looked up as she heard the galloping sounds of the Stag approaching. She quickly tucked the map away and waited for the Stag to approach the station. He finally arrived, looking weary as ever but ever so enthusiastic about his job in life.

"Back to Dirtmouth, miss?"

Hornet nodded. "Yes, please."

The Stag grunted and wasted no time, galloping away from King's Station to Dirtmouth. In about a few minutes, she was back in Dirtmouth. After quietly thanking the Stag, she rode the elevator up and was back in town. The town had gotten a lot more busy ever since the Radiance was defeated. Many bugs had survived the disaster, and many had not. Those who did moved to Dirtmouth. Hornet made her way to Iselda and Cornifer's shop.

"Where's Ghost and Hollow?" Hornet immediately questioned when she didn't find her siblings and the child in the shop like she had specifically asked them to. She even told the couple to make sure that they wouldn't go anywhere. She sternly looked to Iselda, whose antenna drooped down a bit.

"Forgive me. But your siblings were rather insistent on taking the child somewhere else. I think it was to keep it busy," Iselda said. Hornet said nothing and quickly exited the shop to go look for her siblings. As important as her siblings are to her (they were her only living siblings left), she had to make sure that the child was safe. If the father were to wake up and somehow know that his child was dead, the world would be doomed.

Fortunately, she found the trio easily. They were east of the old well, in the open space of town, keeping the child entertained. Or more like, Hollow was watching Ghost and the child play. Hornet let out a sigh of relief.

"I thought I told you two to stay in the shop," she told them sternly. Hollow and Ghost quickly turned around to face Hornet. They didn't emote at all, but their body language read that they were nervous and guilty. Both their gazes fell to the small child, who chirped happily. "I'll forgive you guys just this once. You had to keep the child entertained anyway. Now, we must be going immediately. The Seer gave me a map to the kingdom of where to find the child's father. We will return her to her dad right away."

Hornet explained to her siblings that the trip would take several days as the kingdom was quite far from Hallownest. She instructed them to take all essentials with them. Her siblings flocked around her and she showed them the map that the Seer gave her and pointed to the marking on the map. Probably to mark where the tent was, approximately. The small child watched them curiously for a while. Their attention was turned to the child when they started chirping quite loudly. They flew around everyone's heads frantically. They landed on Hornet's head, and pulled at her horns.

"Hmm, what is it, child?"

The child kept chirping, flew off of Hornet's head and landed on the head of the Hollow Knight. They did the exact same thing on the Hollow, and all they could do was tilt their giant head in confusion at the child. Their chirping turned into whines.

"What's wrong with the child?" Hornet asked. She turned to Hollow somewhat desperately, but all they could do was stare at her with no emotion. Hornet sighed and turned to Ghost. They were surprisingly always resourceful and knew what to do in most situations. Little Ghost looked at the child expectantly.

The child flew around Ghost's head and landed on their shell, pulling at their horns. Ghost looked up at the child and they finally calmed down. They flew off of their head and with one of their wings, gently took Ghost's hand and started pulling on it. It looks like the child wanted to take them somewhere.

"Ghost, perhaps the child is leading you somewhere?" Ghost nodded and allowed the child to pull them through town. Hornet nodded at Hollow and the two followed Ghost and the child. They pulled Ghost past Elderbug, and Sly's shop all the way to the entrance of town from the King's Pass.

Hornet looked up. "We won't be able to get up there. Ghost, you've got the mantis claw, don't you?" Ghost nodded and took it out. "Good. You go investigate what the child is fussing about and come straight back, okay?"

Ghost nodded again and made their way climb using the tool, the child using its wings to easily fly their way up. They waved back to Hornet and Hollow before disappearing into the King's Pass. Ghost walked along the pass in silence, with the child's occasional chirps. After a few steps, they looked at the child expectantly. The child blinked, and flew towards the direction of the Howling Cliffs. The Ghost wordlessly followed the small thing.

They both arrived at the Howling Cliffs. Ghost observed as the child chirped, flew around in tiny circles before making their way forward and down the cliffs. Ghost jogged behind them. Using their mantis claw, they slid down the walls and hopped onto the rocks. They found the child staring at a wall that looked very suspicious. Ghost unsheathed their nail and smacked the crumbling wall until it broke away entirely, revealing an entirely new room. The child chirped with more energy and flew into the room. Ghost followed them inside. And what was inside wasn't what Ghost was expecting.

There was a lantern in the middle of the room. Ghost cocked their head in confusion. What was this lantern doing here? Ghost looked at the child, who flew towards the lantern in excitement. Ghost was worried that the child would burn themselves so they hopped up, trying to get the child away from the fire. The child eyed the flame with intent, took a deep breath, and _inhaled _the fire. Ghost watched in amazement and mild horror as he watched the child sucked the flames right from the lantern and into its tiny mouth. The child squealed in delight and soon they were surrounded in a red light that was so bright, Ghost shielded their eyes away from the child. They were worried about them. What was happening?

When the red light died down, Ghost was greeted by a sight that they weren't prepared for. The small child was no longer a small child. They were bigger now. Taller than Ghost, but they looked drastically different now. They now had legs, a cloak was wrapped around their body, they had a larger head, and their eyes… Was now red, as opposed to the blackness that was inside their eyes for so long. Ghost gingerly approached them.

The child looked at their hands, touched their cloak lightly, and looked at their newly formed legs. Ghost didn't know what to do. They watched as the child slowly approached, walking surprisingly gracefully on legs that they haven't even had much experience to walk on.

"Um…" Ghost didn't expect them to talk. They were surprised. The child had a high pitched, feminine voice. The child was a young girl. She slowly walked up to Ghost and stared at them sheepishly. "Um, you're one of my caretakers, correct?"

Ghost nodded.

"I just want to thank you and your siblings for taking care of me thus far. I've come to learn that you guys have plans on taking me back home to my dad. I am deeply grateful for your help." She bowed at Ghost. Ghost nodded and patted the child's sides. Leading her out of the small cave, they lead her back to Dirtmouth, sliding down the walls and into town.

Hornet and Hollow exchanged glances as they saw Ghost return with someone completely different.

"Ghost, where is the child?" She asked slightly nervously. Beside Ghost was not the small child they remembered. Although it looked exactly like them, just bigger and with legs. And red eyes. Something happened. Ghost pointed at the individual. Hornet was astonished. "This is the child? What happened to you?" Her question was now directed at the child.

The child took a few steps towards Hornet and Hollow. "I lead them into a cave, which contained the flame particular to my kind. The flame acts as a fuel for me, and it spurted my growth, hence my different appearance. That is what I was fussing about earlier. I sensed the scarlet flames from afar."

"So, you grew as a result?" Hornet asked. The child nodded her head in confirmation. "Huh, well that's something." Hornet walked up to the child and knelt down to her level. "Child, did your father give you a name?"

"I do not recall a name given to me, no."

"We shall name you, for now. And if your father decides on something else, then so be it. But that's for when we meet him. For now, I'll call you… Celeste. It sounds nice."

The child - Celeste - nodded her head. "Understood."

"Very well, then." Hornet stood up with determination. "Alright, everyone. We best be going soon. Pack up your things and bring only the essentials. We leave as soon as everyone is ready!"

The gang didn't pack much. They brought as Hornet said, the essentials: food, water, and their weapons. The Stag doesn't travel outside of Hallownest so the group had to travel on foot. If it only took a few days to reach the kingdom of Bulak, then travelling on foot wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. The gang headed back towards the Howling Cliffs and from there, headed north to places unknown.

The trip was mostly in silence. Hornet lead the pack towards the kingdom. Behind her was Hollow, Ghost, and then Celeste. Celeste felt a little jittery. The last time she spent time with her dad was those many years ago, when she was still a little larva. Her memory was hazy, but she remembered her parents. She also remembered the day everything went wrong. When her mother had gone out and never returned, and when the tent suddenly exploded and was lit on fire, a fire that was foreign to her kind. Celeste remembered fleeing, that day. She flew away on her tiny wings as the fire ate away at the tent. She suddenly felt guilty. She left her dad, abandoned him as the tent was engulfed in flames. But the whole point of this journey was to bring her back to her dad, so he must be alive. But Celeste still felt very guilty. What if her father barely remembers her? What if he got mad at her for leaving him? She must have made him worried sick. Celeste whimpered softly, catching the attention of Ghost. They turned around.

"Apologies," Celeste quickly mumbled to him, her head bowed down. "I'm acting rather foolish. As you may tell, I'm a little nervous about meeting my father…"

Ghost nodded and grabbed her hand, gently pulling her forward. Celeste knew the mask on her face hid her blushing, but she still felt her cheeks grow warm anyway. She let Ghost take her hand. The group resumed travelling in silence but Hornet must have heard Celeste back there.

"Celeste, are you worried about meeting your father?" She asked the child.

Celeste found herself blushing again. "A bit, I'll admit."

"You shouldn't be. He's your father, after all. He'll be fine. He'll be so happy to see you again."

"I hope so..." Celeste said, more to herself. The doubt grew in her stomach, nagging at her. She tried to push the thought out of her mind, but it did linger.

The gang was walking for a long time. When sunset was approaching, Hornet decided on a spot that was somewhere about halfway to Bulak, and to camp there for the night. They got their shelter prepared and everyone sat down to relax. Hornet set up a fire, and urged everyone to gather there for warmth. Hollow and Ghost did, but Celeste was hesitant. She stared at the orange flames as it flickered harmlessly. She still remembered the day that the same fire was burning up the tent.

"Celeste, you don't want to warm up near the fire?" Hornet asked with mild concern.

"It's okay, I have my own fire here." As validation, Celeste held a scarlet fireball in her hand and showed it to Hornet, who shrugged with indifference and sat near her siblings. Eventually, Hornet and her siblings got out some food to eat. They proceeded to eat their meals. Celeste felt like a complete outsider. Her kind didn't need food as long as the Nightmare Heart was alive. With that, the Heart would always provide her with flames and energy. She had a hard time explaining that to hornet, who could only give her a strange glance her way.

Hornet and Hollow eventually fell asleep. Celeste watched as Ghost did as well. She was not tired. Celeste decided to stare off into the distance, but all she saw was nothing back darkness all around her. She let out a sigh. Celeste was thinking about her father. What was he doing, she wondered to herself. He must have been very lonely and depressed. He must have been waiting a long time for her return. Celeste suddenly felt her heart break. She missed him very much. Celeste curled up into a ball and started weeping.

She wasn't weeping for long because she felt someone tapping her legs gently. When she looked up, Ghost was in front of her, staring up at her with their empty eyes filled with nothing but darkness within. Celeste sniffled, gently wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ghost. Did I wake you?" Ghost nodded, but then put a small hand on her leg and started patting. Probably trying to comfort her. It was a sweet gesture. "Thank you, you're very kind. Apologies, I was just thinking about my dad. I miss him…"

Ghost walked towards Celeste, came around her, and sat down next to her. She chuckled softly, looking up at the sky, that was filled with stars. "Do you ever get that feeling, Ghost? Missing someone that is close to you?" The air was filled with silence and Celeste just remembered that Ghost couldn't talk. She adjusted herself so that her back was leaning against Ghost's. "Well, I do. I miss my parents. I miss my dad the most. I spent most of my time with him. I hope he's doing okay."

She was answered by silence once more, but it was fine. Celeste didn't mind one bit. The cool air as well as the peace and quiet was enough for her to eventually fall asleep, still leaning against Ghost's back. They didn't mind as well and they too fell asleep.

As soon as the sun was making its way into the sky, Hornet prompted everyone awake. Celeste had woken up with Ghost curled up beside her. It was a cute sight to behold. The gang (minus Celeste) had breakfast and after that, made their way to Bulak. The trip was once again very long and on the second day of travel, they didn't arrive at the kingdom yet. They were getting close, though. Third day of travel, they passed by several small towns. They did a bit of sightseeing and picked up a few items along the way to aid them with their travels before moving on to other towns and small villages. The fourth day of travel was pretty much the same thing,k except they were getting very close to Bulak.

They finally arrived in the kingdom, on the fifth day of travelling. While the kingdom itself was surrounded by lush forests and greenery, the inside of it was pretty much desolate and silent. Very dreary and dead. The architecture was old and crumbling, and something about the air smelt of death and decay throughout. Celeste especially could sense and taste the decay. She wondered how this kingdom had met its doom. But that wasn't important. She had to find her father.

Hornet took out the map. "Well, here we are. Everyone, this is the Kingdom of Bulak. Now, let's see where the tent is marked… Ah, here it is." Everyone swarmed around Hornet as she pointed to the mark on her map. "Right there. Now, let's go! Everyone, be on alert for any enemies. Though this kingdom may be dead, you never know what may be lurking out here."

Hornet took out her needle while her siblings took out their pure nails. Defenceless, Celeste went behind Ghost to keep her safe. She was a pyrokinetic, though. She could always defend herself with fire. The group followed the map, which indicated that the map was somewhere just across from where they were and they wasted no time getting there. Celeste stayed behind Ghost, the feeling of anxiety and nervousness deep within her thorax. She rubbed her arms, before tucking them in her cloak.

It took awhile, but all of them eventually saw a big red tent in the distance. Celeste perked up at the familiar sight, but then her heart sank when she saw the state it was in. In fact, the group came to a stop and stared at the tent in horror when they finally approached it. It was scorched, most of the surface tainted black, but the red was somewhat visible. The smell of burning fabric was strong in the air.

"There was a large fire that happened here, many years ago…" Celeste turned her head to Hornet, who was the one to comment about the tent.

"Wait, how do you know about the tent?" Celeste asked.

"It became a legend," Hornet replied. "The Seer told me so."

Celeste sighed deeply. Her father was probably somewhere inside the tent. At Hornet's command, the group was about to walk inside when someone shouted to them in the distance. They froze and turned around.

"Stop! Where do you think you are going?" The group saw this bug with a very large body slithering towards them, glaring. She wore a mask that exposed half her face. Beside her, another bug with a grey body, and the same mask that fully covered his face. The gang froze. Celeste decided to cower behind Hollow, whose stature was tall enough to hide behind. But there was something about these bugs that concerned her. She was supposed to know them somehow because of the masks that they share. With her claw, the bigger bug pointed at the tent. "Going into that tent is strictly forbidden to outsiders. Begone!"

"Hold on!" Hornet took a few steps towards the two bugs and crossed her arms. "First of all, we mean no harm. Now that I look at you two, and your masks… Surely, no doubt you know about Celeste and who she is."

"Mrmm, who is this Celeste you are speaking of?" The smaller bug asked.

"Hollow, show them!" Hornet ordered. With that, Hollow stepped aside and revealed Celeste to the two bugs. She squealed in surprise and her eyes instantly went to the two bugs. They stared at her with open mouths.

"Brumm, it's the young master! She's alive!" The big bug exclaimed and slithered towards Celeste. The bug known as Brumm looked rocked to the core. "Young master, are you okay? Are you hurt?!" She held Celeste's cheeks with her claws and inspected for any damage.

"I-I'm fine, but sorry… Who are you two?" She asked, her voice sounding funny with her cheeks being squished together firmly. The big bug let go of her face.

"Little lovely, we are your father's closest and most loyal friends." Hornet and her siblings were confused. The big bug bowed to the group. "You'll have to forgive me for my rudeness, travellers. We were not expecting to find the young master alive and well, and you have our deepest gratitude. I am Divine, and the other bug there is my friend Brumm."

Hornet nodded her head. "Who are you two exactly?"

"Like I said, we are the master's closest and most loyal friends and devoted members of the troupe," Divine explained.

"I have heard of the tragedy of the Grimm Troupe," Hornet told her. Divine licked her mouth in anticipation.

"Have you, now? Tell me, little lovely. What do you know of the tragedy of the Grimm troupe?"

"The tent burned down in an attack caused by rogue bugs and thinking his child was dead, the troupe master entered an eternal slumber."

"Wait, what?"

Everyone turned their attention to Celeste. She faced Hornet fiercely, something burning in her eyes from behind her mask. "You never told me that my father entered a deep sleep. You hid that from me?! How dare you!"

"We are not having this discussion now, Celeste."

"Celeste?" The bug known as Brumm sounded confused.

"That is the name we have given her, since we found out that she was given no name ever since she was born," Hornet explained.

"Ah…"

Celeste's fiery mood flared and she stomped towards Hornet and jabbed a finger at her face. "Why didn't you ever tell me that about my father?!"

For the first time, Hornet's siblings saw her hesitate, saw her falter. "I… I didn't think you were ready to face the truth…"

"How could you?! I trusted you!" Celeste turned to Divine. "How is my father doing? Is he awake?"

Divine looked sadly at the tent. "His grief grew more each day that you weren't there, Celeste. Because of that, he became so weak. He hasn't woken since, and his heartbeat grows fainter each day. We fear he may die of a broken heart and spirit, and his flames may be extinguished any day now."

Celeste gasped in horror. Feeling terrified, she sprinted towards the tent and disappeared inside. Everyone gasped, called her name, and was about to go inside to follow her when Brumm stopped them.

"Brumm, whatever are you doing?" Divine hissed.

"She needs some time alone with Grimm," he said. "She hasn't seen him since she was a baby."

"Will she be okay?" Hornet asked.

"I hope so," he said softly.

Celeste was in tears again, sobbing as she ran inside the tent. From the outside, it didn't look as big. On the inside, it was a whole different story. The tent was huge: several corridors, a main room with a dim stage, and more hallways. She stopped crying for a second and took a few moments to compose herself. Something was slowly calling to her. Celeste felt a weak presence, barely clinging on to her, but she felt it. It was willing her forward, to come find them. Celeste headed east of the tent. She entered this small compartment, and when she stepped inside, her heart almost stopped.

The presence that willed her to find them was her father's. He was in quite a sorry state. The room he was in was mostly scorched from the fire of years ago, so it smells faintly of burned fabric. She walked closer to inspect his body. He was unmoving, his eyes pitch black which indicated that they were closed, and his cape was mostly scorched up. His body was against the wall, and the ends of his cape were sprawled all over the floor. She knelt down and saw his chest barely moving up and down. Like Divine said, the flames within him were slowly dying. Celeste barely felt any heat radiating from his body. What caught her attention was his face. Though his eyes were dark, she saw that there were distinct marks running down from his eyes to the bottom of his face. Dry streaks of tears. It broke her heart. She reached out, took his shoulders and shook him lightly.

"Dad, it's me. I'm here." Celeste shook him again. She got no response from him. She started shaking him, each time more desperate. "Come on, wake up! I'm back! Please, wake up! You have to wake up! Please!" When she got no response again, she burst into tears and hugged his cold body, burying her face in his shoulder.

She heard hurrying footsteps approach from behind, followed by some claws that tried to pry her apart from her dad.

"Celeste, you must calm down. Please!" Divine cried, trying to pull her free.

"NO! Let go of me! Stop!"

"Celeste, please."

"NO!"

On instinct, Celeste dug the ends of her cape into the ground. Everyone yelped in surprise as tall pillars of spikes appeared in front of them, nearly skewering them. Celeste was glaring daggers their way. She retracted the spikes, her face showing a mix of pain, misery, guilt.

"Please, just go away."

She resumed burying her head on her dad's shoulder once more when she felt a soft hand touch her shoulder. She looked up and saw Ghost staring at her. "What do you want, Ghost? Just leave me to mourn alone. Please…"

Something alerted Celeste and she looked up again to find Ghost holding some sort of weapon in their small hand.

"What is that?" She asked.

"The Dream Nail," Hornet replied on behalf of Ghost. "If you don't mind, my sibling would like to peer into the thoughts of your father. To check up on him."

"They can do that?"

"Yes."

Celeste hesitated for a few seconds and then finally nodded her head. "Okay."

Celeste moved away from her father and watched as Ghost struck her father with this so called Dream Nail. Red dream catcher particles that were very familiar to her started appearing out of her father. Ghost walked closer to him.

_My beloved wife… My little flame, my daughter…_

_I'm sorry…_

_Please forgive me._

"Well, do you know what he thought?" Celeste finally asked. Ghost nodded.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you what those thoughts are since I don't know what they are. I cannot use the nail because I am not the Wielder. Only Ghost knows those thoughts, and they will take it to their graves."

Celeste felt disappointed. All that display for nothing.

"Everyone, please leave me alone. I need to be alone, for now."

Divine nodded. "Very well, young master."

Celeste watched as Divine escorted everyone outside from her father's quarters before resuming her misery. She sighed shakily, she felt so alone. Opening her father's cloak, she sat upon his lap, closed his cape and covered herself in it, while hugging his thorax. His body felt unusually cold and she decided to warm it up. Celeste felt exhausted and she felt her eyes slowly drift closed. She too wanted to forget her own misery right now. Eventually, she fell asleep.

Grimm knew something felt off when he felt a pair of hands wrap themselves around his thorax. And for the first time in god knows how many years, he opened his eyes. First of all, he groaned softly as his eyes had to adjust to the already dim lighting of his room. Now, to find out who was grasping him. He looked down and his heart nearly stopped at the individual who was hugging him. A being who looked exactly like him, just smaller in appearance. They were sound asleep on his chest, their eyes leaking occasional tears. No, it couldn't be. His eyes were playing tricks on him. His daughter was dead, there was no way she was alive. And yet, here she was sound asleep on him. But something was wrong, now that he thought about it. She should not have grown the way she did since Grimm himself was not dead. How did the connection of the Heart get passed on to her if she didn't even consume his flames? But for now, that didn't matter. She was alive and well, right in front of his eyes.

Grimm chuckled softly to himself, letting some fresh tears slide down his face. After years of sleeping and mourning and wanting nothing more than death to take him, his will to live was back. The flames within him burned with renewed energy, warming up his very cold body. He didn't want to wake her, and yet…

"My child…" He gently poked her cheek. "Wake up." Grimm watched her, and waited for some sort of reaction and was a little sad when he got none. Looking closer at her sleeping form, he caught notice of tears sliding down her cheeks. It broke Grimm's heart. With his regained strength, he sat up, reached out with both arms and wrapped them around her back for an embrace. It was enough to startle Celeste awake.

For a few seconds, no one said anything to each other. Celeste stared at Grimm with wide scarlet eyes in total disbelief while he stared at Celeste with a melancholy expression. Celeste blinked several times. "This is not a dream, is it? Are you really awake? Because last time I checked, you were fast asleep, near death."

"I thought so as well," Grimm said, his voice ever so raspy. "But I am now awake."

"Are you sure this is not a dream?" Celeste asked suspiciously, crossing her arms.

"Does it appear that we are in the dream world?" He asked. Celeste looked around. They were still in the tent, and there was no indication of them being inside of a dream.

"I suppose not." Just to be very sure, Celeste reached out and poked Grimm's cheek with her index finger. She got an amused look from Grimm. She exhaled sharply. "You're real. You really are awake…!"

"Indeed," said Grimm, on the verge of tears. Celeste lunged her body forwards and practically tackled Grimm into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight. Grimm held on tightly, his arms wrapped around her back. "I thought I lost you."

"Me too. I'm sorry." This prompted Grimm to break the hug and look at Celeste in confusion. He blinked in bewilderment.

"Sorry for what?"

"For running away. That's why you slept for a long time. In your grief, you thought me to be dead when I simply fled, like a coward. I didn't even try to come back for you," Celeste explained, her heart aching with guilt and much regret. She bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be ridiculous! You had to run to survive, and you were just a baby then. You couldn't have known. You were too young to be exposed to such tragedy." He hugged her tight again. "What's important now is that you're alive, and safe. That's all that matters to me now. When your mother died, a part of me died with her. And when I thought you died, I felt myself give up completely. Now that you've come back to me, you returned something crucial to me."

"And that's…?"

"The will to live."

The two said nothing for a long time. They enjoyed each other's presence, hugging each other tightly. Celeste rested her head on her father's chest, still hugging him.

"Tell me, how did you get here by yourself? How did you find me?" Grimm asked in a hushed voice.

"I didn't come alone," Celeste replied.

Grimm sat up, stiffening a bit. "You came with others?"

"When I fled from the tent, I travelled through endless worlds and other kingdoms for years. I finally arrived in this kingdom and was found by someone. This bug had two other siblings and they all took care of me. They decided to bring me home," Celeste explained. "And that's when the leader decided to name me."

"Name you? Well, now that I think about it, I never did give you a proper name, did I? How foolish of me. What is your name?"

"Celeste."

"Celeste… What a lovely name," he said fondly. On shaky legs and with Celeste's help, Grimm finally stood up. The first time in many years. "I would like to meet your caretakers, and properly thank them."

"Of course."

Celeste guided Grimm outside the tent and the first thing that happened was that he was tackled into a hug by Divine and Brumm, and they all fell to the floor. They shared a group hug and a cry.

"Grimm, we thought you were dead!" Divine wailed onto Grimm's shoulder. He patted her back reassuringly.

"So did I," he said. The trio laughed and cried, all squeezed into an embrace. "You two are still here, I can't believe it. How long were you guys here?"

"We never left your side, Master. We guarded the tent for many years," Brumm said gravely. "We had to make sure you stayed safe as you slept, in case one day you would wake up. And today is a miracle, because you are awake."

"Well said, my friend." After a moment, Grimm finally saw 3 bugs he'd never seen before. He blinked, and quickly stood up. But as he made his way to them, he took slow cautious steps and stopped a few feet from them. "I presume you 3 are the caretakers of Celeste?"

Since Hollow nor Ghost could talk, Hornet stepped forward. She nodded her head. "Yes, you are correct. I hope you don't mind that we named her," she added the last part nervously. Grimm chuckled.

"No, not at all." He bowed his head real low, trying to control the shaking in his voice. "I would like to deeply thank you all for bringing Celeste back home safely and returning her to me. I do not know how to repay all of you."

"Please, sir. It was only the right thing to do. To reunite Celeste with her father… It was the right thing to do," Hornet repeated.

"Thank you," he said again. When Grimm lifted his head, he eyed the two vessels with intrigue. "You two look very familiar. Where do you three originate from?"

"Hallownest," Hornet said.

"Ah, no wonder." He addressed Hollow first. "You must be the Hollow Knight I heard so much about." He knelt down so that he could be somewhat in level with Ghost. "And you, another one of the Wyrm's vessels, I presume? What ever happened with the dreaded plague?"

"It wiped out most of life in the kingdom, sir. " Hornet lowered her gaze. "The small vessel there, my half sibling, ascended to godhood and defeated the goddess responsible for the tragedy."

"Most impressive indeed, to be in the presence of the god of gods." He bowed his head at Ghost, who also bowed their head down."

"Well, we better be heading back. It will take at least 5 days to make it back to Hallownest," Hornet announced. Hollow and Ghost nodded their heads and followed Hornet. Grimm watched as Celeste walked up to the trio, said something to them that he couldn't hear, and watched as they all gathered in a large hug. Celeste told something to Hornet especially and it ended with them hugging. Celeste waved goodbye to them and returned to Grimm.

He held out his hand to her. "We have a lot of catching up to do, my dear." Celeste nodded and took Grimm's hand.

Together, they walked back to the tent. Divine and Brumm followed them inside.


End file.
